Back hoe excavating implement with tiltable bucket



Feb. 7, 1950 H. c. BURNER ET AL 2496,96

BACK HOE EXCAVATING IMPLEMENT WITH TILTABLE BUCKET 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 27, 1948 FIG. 2.

FIG. .1.

INVENTOR. muema aauglvsle, BY GEOEGE E- N/GH,

7Z 'Wm0z "W0 Arrow/vans.

BACK HOE EXCAVATING IMPLEMENT WITH TILTABLE BUCKET 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 27, l948 e .E' 5 mm Y m y M m e -a 0 W T w N 0 mm H W M iatented Feb. 7, 1950 BACK HOE EXCAVATING IMPLEMENT WITH TILTABLE BUCKET Harold C. Burner and George E. N igh, Palestine, Ill.

Application July 27, 1948, Serial No. 40,978

6 Claims. (Cl. 214-138) This invention relates to excavating implements, such as back or trench hoes, and more particularly to a back hoe having manuallycontrolled mechanism for adjustably tilting the bucket thereof.

It is among the objects of the invention to provide an improved back hoe excavating implement, which is operative to open an elongated evacuation or trench having a level or horizontal bottom, even though the implement may be operating on an inclined land surface, such as a hillside, so that two or more pipelines may be laid in the trench on a level with each other and without the inconvenience occasioned by the tendency of pipe sections to roll down an inclined trench bottom, and to provide simple and inexpensive, power operated, manually controlled mechanism easily installed on a conventional back-hoe implement without material modification of the implement for laterally tilting the excavating bucket of the implement to maintain the trench bottom substantially horizontal.

Other advantages and objects will become apparent from a consideration of the following description, and the appended claims, in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a fragmentary portion of an excavator boom, a boom stick and excavating bucket showing bucket-tilting mechanism illustrative of the invention operatively applied thereto;

Figure 2 is a rear-end elevation of the assembly illustrated in Figure l;

Figure 3 is a front elevation of a fragmentary Z lower portion of the boom stick showing the application thereto of power-operated tilting means illustrative of the invention;

Figure 4 is a transverse cross-section of a Figure 8 is a rear view of a plate for attaching the rear end of the bucket to the pivotal connection; and

Figure 9 is a side elevation of a gear element constituting an operative component of the power-operated, bucket-tilting means.

With continued reference to the drawings, andparticularly to Figures 1 to 4 inclusive, the ex-- cavator boom is of conventional construction, and generally indicated at Ill. The boom stick or- 3 bucket handle, generally indicated at H, is pivotally connected to the boom near the outer end.

of the latter and near the upper end of the boom stick by a suitable pivotal connection, such as the pivot bolt [2, and the excavating bucket, generally indicated at [3, is suspended from the- This bucket has a with bits or teeth ll for biting into earth or 25 facing the end. of the trench adjacent the ex-,

other material to. open an elongated excavation or trench for the laying of pipe or other purpose.

Such a conventional back-hoe excavator is usually mounted on endless tracks and straddles the line of the trench. The boom 10 extends from one end of the excavator and is movable to lower the boom stick H and bucket l3 into the trench with the front end of the bucket cavator. A pair of pull cables I8 is wound upon suitable power-driven drums provided in the excavator and are attached to the front end of the bucket by suitable means, such as the loopsl9, to pull the bucket toward the excavator and force the front end of the bucket into the earth wall at the corresponding end of the trench. When the bucket has been filled with earth, it is raised out of the trench by the boom It, the

; excavator is swung about its pivotal mounting in well-known manner, to carry the load of earth to one side of the trench and the boom stick is then forced outwardly to tip the bucket and dump its load of earth to one side of the trench being excavated. Where the trench extends across a hillside, the excavator, straddling the line of the trench, will be tilted and the boom In and boom stick I I will be correspondingly tilted, so that the bottom wall l5 of the bucket will be substantially parallel to the inclination of the hillside, rather than being level or horizontal. Where the bucket is rigidly secured to the bucket-adjacent-end of the boom stick, as is conventional, the bottom of the trench will be inclined in the same direction and at the same angle as the slope of the hillside through which the trench is dug, with the result that material difficulty is encountered in laying pipe sections in the trench and coupling the sections together, particularly where it is desired to lay two separate lines of pipe in the same trench.

lBy means of the present invention, the bottom wall of the bucket can be maintained substantially level or horizontal regardless of the inclination of the land surface upon which the excavator operates.

In accordance with this objective, the bucket I3 is pivotally connected to the lower or bucketadJacent-end of the boom stick H by meanswhich, while permitting free lateral tilting of the bucket relative to the boom stick, positively preclude any longitudinal tilting of the bucket relative to the boom stick, and is of sufficiently rugged extending transversely of the boom stick iii a fore-and-aft direction, and a bearing cap 2t hav- 1 I ing a complementary bearing recess 22 therein secured to the bottom end ofthe boomstick, by suitable means, such as the cap screws 23. A shaft 24: is journaled in the bearing provided by the recesses and 22 and extends through the boom stick from the side of the boom stick adjacent the forward end of the bucket to a position substantially in alignment with the rear end wall I6 of the bucket.

A U-shaped bail, generally indicated at '25, of channel-shaped cross-section is secured to the side-walls of the bucket adjacent the forward, open end of the latter and extends upwardly above the bucket with the side flanges of the U-' shaped section upstanding from the transverse web portion thereof. The end portions 26 of the bail are extended downwardly and apertured to receive bolts 21 by means of which the bail is rigidly secured to the side-walls of the bucket.

The flanges 28 of the bail are disposed one at each side of the bearing including end of the: boom stick. II and are provided substantially at the mid-length location of the bail with non-aircular, shaft-receiving openings 29". The shaft is provided with non-circular portions 38 thereon received in and closely fitting the non-circular openings in the flanges 28' of the ball so that the bail will be turned totilt'the bucket upon turning the shaft. The outer opening 29 and corresponding shaft portion 3|) are preferably smaller than the inner opening. in corresponding shaft portion in order to'facilitate assembly of the device and the shaft is provided with a reduced, externallysc'rew-threaded end portion 3| receiving a nut 32 which clamps the bail in operative position on the shaft and also secures the shaft against ion-- gitudin'al movement relative tothe boom-stick bearing. 1

The flanges 28 are provided with respective reinforcing plates 33 secured to the flanges and provided with openings registering: with the openings 29 to provide a strong. and rigid attachment between the bail and the shaft 24.

A fiat, trapezoidal plate 34' isrigidly secured along its longer edge to the upper edge of the back-wall I6 of the bucket in upstanding rela tionship, and is provided adjacent its upper edge and substantially at the mid length location of the latter with a non-circular opening 35 receiv-- ing the rear-end portion of the shaft 24. A re-- inforcing plate 36 is secured to plate 34 and prcvided with an. opening registering with the opening 35 and the shaft is provided with a non-ci-rcular portion 31 received in the opening in plate 34 and reinforcement 36 and closely fitting this opening to connect the shaft to the plate againstrelative rotation. The shaft is provided at this rear end with a screw-threaded, reduced extension 38 which receives a nut 39 for clamping the plate 34 on the shaft. A plate 40 is provided with a circular opening 4| receiving a circular-shaft portion 42 disposed inwardly of the shaft portion 31 and a pair of parallel, diagonal braces 43 is secured at their corresponding lower ends to the plater ill' anctat thar upper ends to=theboom stick I I, one at each side and intermediate the length of" the latter to support the rear end of the I shaft 24. construction to adequately support all operative- 41;

, With this arrangement the bucket is freely tiltable laterally relative to the boom stick I I about the axis ct shaft 24, so that the bottom wall of tliebucket can be maintained in a substantially hprizontalplane regardless of the lateral inclination of the excavator.

In order to provide manually-controlled tilting of the bucket about the axis of shaft 24, an arm: 44 projects radially from the shaft 24 adjacent the side of the boom stick opposite the f-ront operr end of. the bucket and a link 45 is piv otally connected. tothe: outer or distalend of arm 44. A power-operated mechanism; generally indicated at. 46 is mounted on the boom stick I I above the shaft 24 and operatively connected to the link 45,. power transmitting means,v generally indicated at 4! extend from. mechanism 46 to the excavator to receive power from the excavator power plant and transmit it to the mechanism. 46,. and a manually-operated device, generally indicated at 48, effective to reversibly control the application ot power'to' the mechanism 46- is operatively interposed: the power-transmitting: means 4'1.

In the arrangement illustrated in; Figures 1 and. 2, the mechanism. is a conventional, expansiblechamber hydraulic device, such as a cylinder and piston device, pivotally mounted on the boom stick by means ot a pivot pin 49 secured at one: end to a plate 50 secured: on the cylinder 91 and: extending through. a: tubular bearing bushing 52 in the boom stick. A nut 53 isthreaded. onto the end of pin 49: opposite the cylinder and bears against a thrust washer 54- to maintain the cylinder in operative association with: the boom stick. The power transmitting means 41 comprise a pair of hydraulic conduits extending one from each end of the cylinder to a? suitable hydraulic pump provided in the excavator, and the manua-llywperated control means 48 comprise a' conventional four-way reversing. valve interposed in the hydraulic conduits 41- and' provided with a manuallyunovabie handle 55 In. the. somewhat: modified arrangement, illustrated in Figures 5 to 9 inclusive, a spur gear 58 securedon shaft 24 is substituted for the arm 44 and the power-operated mechanism 46' comprises a shaft BT-hav'mgredumd end portions 58- one of which is journaled ina bearing aperture provided in theadjacent side-wall of the boom stick' II, and the other of which is journaled in a bracket 59' secured to'the braces 43', a worm gear 60 secured on shaft 54, a spur gear 6| also secured orithe shaft in spaced relationship to the worm gear 61F and meshing with the gear 56, and a worm 6-2 meshing with worm gear 60 and journaled at its ends in upper and lower brackets 83' and 64 respectively, secured on the rear-wall of the boom stick. The power-transmitting means comprise aplurali-ty of shafts 65 extending in end-twend relationship along the boom stick it and boom f0 and drivingly inter"- connected byconventibnal universal joints 6%.-

and the manually;operated. control means 48 comprise a clutch and-reversing-'gear assembly of conventional construction'having"an operating handle 61 projecting therefrom.

A eb fii is nne te ati sei to the bucket l3 by chain links 69 secured one between each end of the cross-bar and the corresponding loop !9. A second cross-bar l0 has the'i'two cables is secured one to each end thereof and a swivel connection H is operatively connected between the cross-bars 6B,; and 'lll, so that the cables, l8 will not be tilted when the bucket i3, is tilted and the cables-will thus not be caused to operate unevenly on the cable drums.

The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The present embodiments are, therefore, to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description, and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are, therefore, intended to be embraced therein.

What is claimed is:

1. In an excavating implement having a boom, an excavating bucket, and a boom stick pivotally secured to said boom and suspending said bucket from said boom, and pull cables attached to the front open end of said bucket, means providing a pivotal connection between said boom stick and said bucket for tiltin movement of said bucket relative to said stick about a pivotal axis extending longitudinally of said bucket, poweroperated means operatively connected between said boom stick and said bucket for tilting said bucket about said pivotal axis, and a swivel connection between said pull cable and said bucket.

2. In an excavating implement having a boom, an excavating bucket, and a boom stick pivotally secured to said boom and suspending said bucket from said boom, means providing a pivotal connection between said boom stick and said bucket for tilting movement of said bucket relative to said boom stick about a pivotal axis extending longitudinally of said bucket, and power-operated means operatively connected between said boom stick and said bucket for tilting said bucket about said pivotal axis.

3. In an excavating implement having a boom, an excavating bucket, and a boom stick pivotally secured to said boom and suspending said bucket from said boom, means providing a pivotal connection between said boom stick and said bucket for tilting movement of said bucket relative to said boom stick about a pivotal axis extending longitudinally of said bucket, and power-operated means operatively connected between said boom stick and said bucket for tilting said bucket about said pivotal axis, said means providing said pivotal connection comprising a shaft bearing in the bracket-adjacent end of said boom stick, a shaft journaled in said bearing and extending through said stick, a U-shaped bail of channelshaped cross-section secured to the sides of said bucket near the front end of the latter and extending upwardly from said bucket with its flanges disposed one at each side of said boom stick substantially at the mid-length location of said bail, each of said flanges having a noncircular, shaft-receiving opening therein and said shaft having non-circular portions received in said openings, a plate secured to the rear, closed end of said bucket and upstanding therefrom,

said platethavingia shaft-receivin opening in alignment ,with the shaftereceiving openings .in said-bail and said shafthaving a reduced end portion rec'eived'in said plate ,opening,'and a pair of. nuts threaded one on each end of said shaft to retain said bail and said plate-in op-. erative positionon. said shaft. 4. In v.an excavating implement having a boom, an excavating bucket, and a boom stick pivotally secured to said boom and suspending said bucket from said boom, means providing a pivotal con-. nection between said boom stick and said bucket for-.tiltingmovementof said bucket relative to said boom;stic,k,abo ut a,- pivotal axis extending longitudinally of said bucket, and power-operated means operatively connected between said boom stick and said bucket for tilting said bucket about said pivotal axis, said means providing said pivotal connection between the bucket and the boom stick comprising a shaft bearing in the bucketadjacent end of the boom stick, a shaft journaled in said bearing, a bail secured at its ends to said bucket near the front end of the latter and secured intermediate its length to said shaft against relative rotation, means securing said shaft to the rear end of said bucket, and diagonal brace means inter-connected between the end of said shaft and rear end of said bucket and said boom stick intermediate the length of the latter.

5. In an excavating implement having a boom, an excavating bucket, and a boom stick pivotally secured to said boom and suspending said bucket from said boom, means providing a pivotal connection between said boom stick and said bucket for tilting movement of said bucket relative to said boom stick about a pivotal axis extending longitudinally of said bucket, and power-operated means operatively connected between said boom stick and said bucket for tilting said bucket about said pivotal axis, said means providing said pivotal connection comprising a shaft bearing in the bucket-adjacent end of said boom stick, a shaft journaled in said bearing, a bail secured at its ends to said bucket near the front end of the latter and secured intermediate its length to said shaft against relative rotation, and means securing said shaft to the rear end of said bucket, and said power-operated means comprising an arm projecting radially on said shaft, a hydraulic cylinder pivotally mounted on said boom stick, and a link pivotally connected at one end to the distal end of said arm and extending into said cylinder to move said arm by the application of hydraulic fluid under pressure to a piston carried by said link within said cylinder, and hydraulic conduit means connected with said cylinder for supplying hydraulic fluid under pressure thereto.

6. In an excavating implement having a boom, an excavating bucket, an a boom stick pivotally secured to said boom and suspending said bucket from said boom, means providing a pivotal connection between said boom stick and said bucket for tilting movement of said bucket relative to said boom stick about a pivotal axis extending longitudinally of said bucket, and power-operated means operatively connected between said boom stick and said bucket for tilting said bucket about a pivotal axis, said means providing said pivotal connection comprising a shaft bearing in the bucket-adjacent end of said boom stick, a shaft journaled in said bearing, a bail secured at its ends to said bucket near the front end of the latter and secured intermediate its length to said shaft against relative rotation, and means securing said shaft to the rear end of said bucket, and

said power-operated means comprising ashut gear secured on said shaft, a jack shaft rotat- REFERENCES ably mounted adjacent Said haft and m The following references are of record in .the spur gear thereon meshing with said flrst-menfile Of this P tinned spur gear, a. worm gear on saiduj ack shaft, 5 UNITED STATES PATENTS a worm J'ournaled on said boom stick and meshing with said Worm gear, drive shafts extending Number Name Date in end-to-end relationship fromsaid'worm tothe 1988331 Lutz 1914 excavator, and universal joints drivinglyconnect- 131%590 Burke et a1 1931 in; together the adjacent ends of said drive 10 3395566 Weston et a1 1942 shafts- FOREIGN PATENTS v I Number Country Date HAROLD BURNER 696,060 France Oct/7,1930

GEORGE E. NIQH. 

